Safety appliance for oil-tanks.



C. G. GADDIS.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR OIL TANKS.

APPLICATION 111.111) MAR.16, 1911.

1,019,779. Patentd Mar. 12, 1912.

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BAFETY APPLIANCE FOR OIL TANKS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16. 1911.

1,019,779 Patented. Mar. 12, 1912.

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illl m g/1m residing at Olney,

CHARLES 6. Gimme, or oLNEY, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR OIL-TANKS.

Specification of To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. (moors, 'a citizen of the United States of America,

in the county of' Rich- "land and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Appliances the following is a specification.

for OilTanks, of which This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in safety devices for tanks, its object to provide a device of this kind that 'w'll in case of fire automatically release the oil in a tank and convey it away to a place of safety; one that may be readily ap plied to any tank and one that is simple-in construction and cheap to manufacture.

To these ends the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter; described and particularly pointed out in the claims. I II Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like numerals designate like parts in all the views :-F igure 1 is a side elevation of an oil tank showing my invention applied thereto, parts being broken away forclearness. Fig. 2,-is an enlarged cross section on the line 2-2-of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the mannerof joining the strip of fusible metal and the shield to the tank. Fig. 5 is a detail View? showing a modified form of lever; and, Fig." 6 is a detail viewsho'wing a modified form. of fastening a strip of fusible metal to a tank. 5 I I 1 indicates an oil tank of any well known form of construction formed of sectionsbetween which is held by bolts 3a strip of fusible metal 4. This strip of fusible metal extends the entire length of the side of the. tank and is joined to the bottom thereof by bolts 5, seeFig. 3. II To strengthen the joint "at the union of the fusible metal and the tank and-t0 prevent any leakage of the oil at that point, strips 6 are held against the sides of the fusible strip on the inside of the tank, by the bolts 3.

Mounted on the outside of the tank and covering the fusible metal strip4 is a safety 1 guard or shield 7, provided with flanges 8 and held by the bolts 3 and 9 to the sides thereof. This shield communicates at the I Letters Patent. Application filed March 16, 1911.

particularly oil tanks, and has for shown in dotted lines in may be operated by a direct upward pull -it will be conveyed to bottom of the tank with a conduit 10.- '11 auxiliary Patented Mar. 12, 1912. Serial No. 614,925.

indicates cross rods mounted within the shield 7 and extending from side to side for strengthenin the same. I

A series of angle irons 12, held on the inside of the'tank 1 reinforce the same, where the fusible metal is located. These angle irons are so formed that they may not interfere with the removal new fusible metal when and insertion of desired, see Fig. 2.

Located at or near the bottom of the safety shield 7 is an auxiliary safety device comprising alever 14 adapted to travel in a slot 14 in the front of the shield, said. lever being fulcrumed within the shield as shown at 15 between the bearing plates 16 held by rivets 17 to the front of the shield and is provided with a hooked end 19 having an upper cutting edge 20 and a lower utting edge 21, which edges are adapted to destroy the fusible metal strip 4 when the lever is operated. 22 indicates a shutter surrounding the lever 14. lugs 23 on the bearing plates 16. This shutter is adapted to travel up and down with the lever and keep the slot 141- closed at all times to prevent .the escape of oil .therethrough when the device is in operation.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the leveriis shown provided with a series of hooked ends 24 all of which are provided with-cutting edges 25. The shutter 23 in th s caseiis held between guides 26 riveted .to their v ontof the safety shield 7. This lever may be adjusted to the position as Fig. 3 so that it instead of a'downward pull as shown.

'JfIn the modification as shown in Fig. 6 "thefusible strip 4is shown closing a smaller opening 27 inthe side of the .tank. These fusible strips may be of any appropriate width and length according to the size and capacity of the tank and may be distributed around the tank if desired. They are to be made of lead or any other metal that will fuse at a temperaturenotto exceed 590 irnddapplied to tanks that hold oil of any in In case of a fire the heat will cause the metal strip to fuse and release the oil in the tank which will fiow into the safety shield 7 and down into the conduit 10 where a place of safety.

e operation of the lever .14 of the By th device the fuse may be destroyed by bolts 13, are adapted toand held between the i near the lever and oil may be released and flow to a place of safety as above described.

By the use of a deviceof this kind it may readily be seen that the danger of oil tanks catching on fire and exploding and the loss of great quantities of oil maybe eliminated It is not myself to the details of construction and arrangements of parts herein described and illustrated, as it is manifest that variations and modifications may be made in the features of construction and arrangement n the adaptationof the device to various con- 'provements.

ditions of use without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and im- I therefore reserve the right to all such variations and modifications as properly fall within the scope of my inventherefor comprising a strip of fusible metal to understood that I limit mounted on said tank; a conduit and a means surrounding said fusible metal adapted to convey the liquid to said conduit when said fusible metal is destroyed, as set forth. 3. The combination with a tank formed of sections, of a safety device applied thereto comprising; a-shield mounted on the side of said tank and connecting said sections, a strip of fuslble metal connecting said sections within said shield; reinforcing bars within said tank connecting said sections,

and a means mounted on said shield adapt- 7 ed to destroy said fusible metal for the purpose set forth. r

4. The combination with a tank formed of sections,.-of a safety device applied there to comprising; a shield mounted on the side of said tank and. connecting said sections, astrip of fusible metal connecting said sections within said shield; reinforcing bars Within said tank connecting said sections; and a lever mounted on said shield and provided with a cutting edge adapted to destroy said fusible metal for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affixmy signature I in presence of two witnesses.

' CHARLES G. GADDIS. "Witnesses:

ELLA MILLER, O. G. RoNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1). G. 

